Darkness is often referenced in therapy as symbolising difficult or challenging emotions, experiences and thoughts.
As I type this, Halloween is approaching. The dark has always had the potential to be scary and even dangerous, of course. Predator animals often hunt at night. Criminals commit crimes under the cover of darkness, from opportunistic muggers to the infamous Victorian nightmare known forever as Jack the Ripper. There’s a primal fear and sense of increased vulnerability experienced by a lot of people when they find themselves on the streets after the sun has gone down.
Clients will often use the dark in some way as a descriptive, an analogy or metaphor. They do this when detailing aspects of their lives that are painful, unknown or unsettling. Counsellors use it as well, to encourage individuals to explore and confront these challenging feelings or situations.
Therapists will work gently and empathically to bring clients’ issues into the light (light being referenced just as much as darkness). The aim in doing so is to support clients in finding their way towards greater understanding, to learn how to process whatever they’ve gone through and are dealing with right now; to work through conflicts and traumas.
When sharing the darkness of their thoughts and fears, clients will often say they feel what they perceive to be their own difference, hurt and isolation much more intensely at night. It’s as if the darkness bears down on them, a very real weight. You do get clients for whom darkness is a comfort, though: offering them anonymity and concealment.
In working to promote healing and growth, the therapist must face the darkness with their client and do all they can to assist them in overcoming the most challenging aspects of their lives they want to shed light on. Light’s meanings when it comes up in therapy include cleansing, revelations and warmth.
When we refer to light and dark together, we’re often talking about balance – and, where there is clearly an imbalance going on, the word is equilibrium: how to achieve and keep it as a therapeutic goal.
As always, thanks for reading!
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